SHERWOOD PARK, AB – It was an afternoon to forget for the Sherwood Park Crusaders as they finished off the season series against Fort McMurray with an 8-3 loss on home ice against the Oil Barons on Sunday.

The Oil Barons scored early and often in the first period, taking just 91 seconds to score the game’s opening goal courtesy of Fort McMurray leading scorer Will Conley, who scored his first of two on the afternoon.

Fort McMurray would add three more goals in the first 12 minutes of the hockey game, including two, 43 seconds apart near the seven minute mark.

If there was a bright spot in Sunday’s game it was Sherwood Park’s special teams, killing off seven of eight penalties and scoring a pair of goals on the man advantage, one from Ryan Cox late in the first and one from Ty Readman with 0.8 seconds remaining in the second period.

Unfortunately, even though the Crusaders scored that power play marker in the second period, it was after another scoring frenzy with three goals in the middle frame from Fort McMurray.

The teams would trade goals in the third period with Erik Miller scoring for the Crusaders.

The Oil Baron win gave them seven wins in a row, while the Crusaders suffered their seventh loss in a row, and certainly their most deflating loss of the season.

Things do not get any easier for the Crusaders as they travel to Spruce Grove Wednesday night for their fourth meeting of the season against the Saints, the Viterra North Division leaders with 83 points.